She said: "We are still in the very early stages of our investigation but we believe the offender is known to the victims.

"We are appealing to him to come forward as a matter of urgency."

Police forensic tents outside a property on Northdown Road in Solihull, where a murder investigation has been launched.Credit:
Aaron Chown/PA

She described the deaths as "truly devastating and heart-breaking".

The area has been cordoned off and house-to-house inquiries are being carried out.

CCTV footage is being examined, West Midlands Police said, adding that there will be a visible presence in the area in the coming days.

One neighbour said she heard screaming and shouting outside.

A mother and daughter aged 49 and 22 were stabbed to death in Solihull in the early hours of Monday, August 27. Credit:
Aaron Chown/PA

The woman, who did not want to give her name, said: "I thought it was foxes screaming. She was absolutely screaming her head off. He wasn't speaking English, that's for sure. He shouted something and then ran off.

"There was a lot of screaming and shouting and then I saw the guy run off. About a minute later I saw him leave in a van."

The neighbour, who said she was "stunned" by what had happened, said she did not know the victims, adding that "they kept themselves to themselves".